The Best Bagels in New York City
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A quick way to start a fight? Take a stance on the best bagel in New York City. This may be the world’s bagel capital, but there’s little consensus amongst New Yorkers about the platonic ideal. Perhaps the only elements that we can all agree upon are that the bagel should be freshly baked, and a selection of schmears must be available. Older-school bagel devotees often argue that a bagel must have a visible hole, be on the smaller side, and require a strong jaw to chew; others look for more modern pillowy rounds, reaching to sizes that can nearly eclipse a human palm.
With every year, the options only grow greater, it seems. But bagels have been part of the city’s fabric since they arrived with Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century, and for a time in the 20th century, the powerful union Local 338 controlled bagel baking in the city. Today, it’s more of a free for all: Bagels aren’t constrained by size, flavor, or even color—you can still get those bright rainbow bagels that went viral (for better or worse) nearly a decade ago now, while other shops have been baking their rounds the same way for decades.
We respect a range of bagel opinions—but, ultimately drew two lines when it came to assessing what are, truly, the best bagels in New York City: Bagels shouldn’t match the highlighter on your desk, nor should they be sweet (if you’re looking for a sugary round treat with a hole, might we recommend one of the city’s fabulous donut shops, like Fan Fan or Peter Pan?). We’ve also considered geography in our guide, spotlighting standout bites in a range of neighborhoods from the Lower East Side to Greenpoint. (For those cult-inspiring Long Island bagels, you’ll have to find another list—we’re keeping this to the city). And yes, we’ve tasted all of them; if you live here, we suggest making a point to do the same.
Whether you’re a local or visitor, these are the best bagels in New York City for when the craving hits.
Read our full New York City travel guide here, which includes:
PopUp Bagels
338 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023
The name here is a bit of a misnomer. What started as a pop-up is now a brick and mortar chain with three locations in Manhattan and several more outside of the city. The team at PopUp operates things a bit differently from most neighborhood bagel shops. There’s a strictly enforced three bagels plus schmear requirement. And even if you splurge on smoked fish, the team will not be assembling your sandwich—that’s on you. While that may annoy some, we’re grateful this policy keeps long weekend lines moving.
BO’s Bagels
235 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026
Frustrated by the dearth of good bagels in Harlem, Andrew Martienz started baking them in the home he shared with Ashley Dikos nearly a decade ago, and in 2017, the duo opened their first BO's on 116th Street (there’s also one farther uptown). These are the type of bagels worth boarding a subway for: Keeping with a traditional style of New York bagel, the offerings at BO’s are petite and chewier than most. There are a few standing tables, but no real seating, so take your haul to go—Central Park isn’t far.
Apollo Bagels
242 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003
Joey Scalabrino and Mike Fadem, who own Williamsburg pizza destination Leo, started Apollo as a pop-up and it quickly caught on. Today, the duo operates two locations—one in the East Village and the other in the West. Their bagels have a tang, courtesy of a sourdough starter that’s used to make the dough, some air pockets in their crumb, and a nice crust. Options at Apollo are simple: there are plain, sesame, and everything bagels, and a few sandwiches to choose from including one with whitefish salad, pickled peppers, and dill. Be ready to line up on the weekends. There are a couple of bench seats outside, but nearby Tompkins Square Park is more pleasant for a bagel brunch.
Russ & Daughters
127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002 and 502 W 34th St., New York, NY 10001
For more than a century, Russ & Daughters has been a New York staple. Joel Russ, a Jewish immigrant from Strzyzow, Poland, opened his “appetizing shop” on the Lower East Side in 1914 and the business is still owned by his descendants. Starting in 2015, the team began baking their own bagels in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard and more recently started rolling, boiling, and baking more at their Hudson Yards spot. No matter which location you go to, you can (and should) opt for lox or Nova to be draped over your bagel. If you’re looking for seating, head to their cafe on the Lower East Side or to the Hudson Yards location.
Bagel Hole
400 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
If you walked past Bagel Hole, you might not think much of this narrow old school shop on a quieter stretch of Park Slope’s 7th Avenue. Neighbors will fix that. Bagel Hole has a dedicated following who appreciate their small, chewy bagels that are baked just behind the counter. Traditionalists will tell you to decline the offer of chicken salad, which the team hawks via a piece of paper taped to the counter, and stick with a more classic schmear like scallion cream cheese. They may be right. There’s no seating or space to hang around. Thankfully, Prospect Park is just a couple of blocks away. And a note to the wise: Like many old school bagel shops, Bagel Hole is cash only.
Terrace Bagels
222 &, 222A Prospect Park W, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Separated by just a 12 minute walk, Bagel Hole and Terrace Bagels offer a study in contrasts. The bagels at the former are smaller and chewier, while the latter are larger and a bit doughier. At Terrace, there’s also a lot of choice, including pumpernickel everything and garlic bagels and a sprawling selection of schmears displayed in a gleaming glass case. Options range from classics like lox spread to the highly unconventional bubble gum-pink strawberry chocolate chip cream cheese, which might entice picky little ones. If you prefer to eat in, you can take your bagels to one of the tables—but Prospect Park is right there.
Shelsky’s of Brooklyn
141 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Owned by born-and-bred New York Peter Shelsky and fish expert Lewis Spada, Shelsky’s is an appetizing shop for the 21st century—as they say “an old tradition that never really died.” The duo operates a dedicated bagel outpost near 4th Avenue-9th Street, on the cusp of Park Slope, but we’re partial to the appetizing shop in Cobble Hill, which sells the team’s thoughtfully made, chewy bagels alongside its superb fish selection including double cured Irish salmon, Ora King salmon, and Icelandic smoked salmon. All of the classic bagel finishes like poppy and sesame are on offer, along with their famed (and rather intense) cracked peppercorn and salt bagels, which the team calls “a bagel au poivre.”
Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
You half expect Midge Maisel to walk into Barney Greengrass on the Upper West Side. The business has been open since 1908 and moved to its current location in 1929. You can order bagels, schmears, and fish at the counter to go, but Barney Greengrass is best enjoyed from a table in one of the two dining rooms. The menu is lengthy and includes Eastern European Jewish classics like latkes and blintzes, but you are here for the fish and bagels, which are made specially for the shop by All Natural Products. If you are having trouble deciding, ask for an open-face sandwich with your choice of two smoked fish—think: half salty sable, half glistening Nova. Make sure to stop at an ATM before, this spot is cash only and it isn’t cheap.
Ess-A-Bagel
324 1st Ave., New York, NY 10009
Ess-A-Bagel first opened in 1976, and is the sort of place where you might run into Saturday morning regulars who have been picking up their usual here for 30 years. At the 1st Avenue location (there are three other locations), you can watch the team move dozens of well burnished bagels in and out of the large oven behind a glass wall while you wait to place your order. The bagels themselves have more flavor than most, and are puffy, but still have a nice texture when you bite down.
Utopia
120 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016
Utopia opened in 1981 and until June 2024, fans who wanted to visit the iconic bakery had no choice but to make a pilgrimage to Whitestone, Queens. Thankfully, there’s now a sprawling location on the corner of 34th Street and Lexington Avenue in Murray Hill where bagels are baked on site. They strike an ideal balance between a crispy crust with tiny air bubbles and a solid, but not overwhelming, chewy interior.
Tal Bagels
357 1st Ave., New York, NY 10010
We’ll forgive you if you’re skeptical of a bagel chain with five locations in Manhattan, but don’t allow that to keep you away from Tal Bagels. The bagels here have crusts with lots of tiny bubbles that shatter at first bite. And while the team mostly sticks to the classics, the olive-rosemary bagel is a welcome offering.
Absolute Bagels
2788 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Absolute is an icon in New York’s bagel scene. Sam Thongkrieng, who moved from Bangkok to New York and then worked at Ess-A-Bagel in the 1980s, opened the shop near Columbia University in 1990. On weekends, lines here are virtually unavoidable, with students, neighbors, and bagel hunters waiting for the slightly doughy bagels with a nice crust that are as big as a hand. If a full size bagel feels like too much, opt for one of the more modestly sized mini-bagels and wash it down with Thai iced tea. Be sure to bring cash.
Tompkins Square Bagels, 184 2nd Ave, New York, NY. exterior storefront of a bagelry in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan.
Robert K. Chin/AlamyTompkins Square Bagels
165 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
The lines at the original location of this beloved bagel shop just off of Tompkins Square (there are two others in Manhattan) are legendary, but the friendly team moves through them efficiently. Fans come to Tompkins Square Bagels for oversized, puffy bagels (including one flavored like French toast), bagel sandwiches, and a wide selection of house whipped cream cheeses like lox dill, plus a slew of sweet options including ones dotted with fresh fruit. There’s some seating in a space that feels a bit like a 90s era coffee shop, but it’s best to escape the mobs by going to the namesake park.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
